This series is where we stop talking about make-up to explore other areas of beauty and beyond. That’s anything! Hair, fashion, jacked up love lives..anything! Any suggestions? Let me know at Brittany@ClumpsOfMascara.com.

Since I’ve been blogging through good ole’ ClumpsOfMascara.com here, my hair has gone through some changes.

There was the ultra fro….

…but then I made the mistake of straightening it.

…and my hair never recovered so I had to cut it off.

….and then I decided to make the commitment to start growing locs.

It has almost been a month since I started my loc journey blog. To see what I’m up to, follow my journey there.

Welcome to the inaugural post for the series I’ve been meaning to introduce for quite some time! Beautiful Bee-ing Me in the reader/fellow blogger photo showcase! It is in this series that you can show off your hair, fab new outfit or make-up look. Wanna show off your new hair cut? That lipstick you’ve been rocking for a month? Show off on Clumps!

“Briiit, what if someone laughs at me?”

Okay, who cares? Have yall seen MY looks….or mistakes? Don’t be shy. This series is about being able to connect with the Clumps of Mascara community and display your new findings in the beauty/fashion world. I welcome all submissions from all ladies (and you too fellas) of all backgrounds and ages! Shoot me an email at Brittany@ClumpsOfMascara.com.

I feel honored to even display Shavonda, a 26 year-old from Sacramento. She has recently BCed (big chopped–this means cutting off relaxed hair) and wanted to show her new look with the Clumps of Mascara family.

After seeing her beautiful hair, I just had to ask her a few questions.

1. When did you BC?—> November 20, 2008.

2. What do you love most about being natural?–> I love EVERYTHING about being natural. I love that I can wash my hair everyday. I love that I don’t have to run from the sheer thought of water anymore. I love that it takes me 5 mins to do my hair in the morning. I think the best thing about being natural is that everyday I fall in love with my hair over again. I love that my curls are uniquely mine. No one else has the same curls as me.

3. What are some of the challenges?–> I don’t think that I have encountered any hair challenges yet only because I’ve recently BC’d. Right now I’m rockin the TWA and even when I think I may be having a bad hair day, you can’t tell because it come across as intentional. Although I will say that I am having kind of a hard time with the whole head scarf, wrap thing, I had never worn wraps or scarfs before I chopped so I have NO IDEA what I’m doing. Plus I have a little head so I don’t really know that they look right on me!

4. What are your favorite products?I’m really into all natural products so there are the ones that I have discovered and are lovin right now. I co wash pretty much everyday with either Burts Bees More Moisture Raspberry and Brazil Nut Conditioner or Giovanni Deeper Moisture Conditioner. I tend grab the Giovanni more though. It’s amazing because it’s natural and organic which I love and it makes my hair feel so soft and nourished. I have been following a few blogs (including Clumps of Mascara) which have raved of Trader Joe’s conditioner so I actually went out and bought it last night!! I plan on testing it out today. After I wash it I pat dry and spritz with some homemade vegetable glycerin and water spritz. While my hair still damp I apply some of my homemade hair crack (as I call it) which consists of Pure Unrefined Shea Butter, Unrefined Coconut Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, and Jojoba Oil. My hair loves this stuff and it is the most amazing moiturizer ever.. I don’t comb or brush my hair so I finger style and Im out the door. **I usually dont shampoo at all but if I notice buildup I only use one of things. I’ll use either castille soap or I use Giovanni Deeper Moisture Shampoo. Both are Laurel Sulfate free. Ill be trying Trader Joes brand shampoo that goes along with their conditioner since its also Laurel Sulfate free.

5. What do you plan on doing next with the hair?At this point I have no idea what I plan to do with my hair next!! I know I don’t plan to loc it, though. I love the look of natural hair wild and free so I do plan on doing alot of braid and twist outs. I’m just looking forward to getting to know my hair and its characteristics.

Going natural has sparked a serious transition within me. I’ve developed a major love affair with my hair. I love to wear makeup now and I accessorize like nobody’s business. The bigger the earrings the better!!

How beautiful is she?! She reminds me so much of myself when I did my first BC back in April of 2005. You can find more pictures of Shavonda at her Fotki album.

Okay, so who is going to be the next feature? Don’t make me call you out. Beautiful in your own skin and don’t mind letting the world know? Shoot me your shots at Brittany@ClumpsOfMascara.com.

How can you snag this? By subscribing to Clumps of Mascara. What does this mean? Enter your email address in the little box to the left that looks like this…

Subscribing to Clumps of Mascara ensures that you get an email each and every time I update the site! Ain’t that just great? Make sure that your email address is correct. Don’t be givin’ me no bogus email accounts. Hmm mmm….I know how some of yall think. LOL! If you are already subscribed, then do no more. Your entry is in! If you are not sure if I have your email address on file, shoot me an email at Brittany@ClumpsOfMascara.com to double check. This contest is only for US subscribers and ENDS on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 12midnight PST.

Have you subscribed yet? Make sure that you have!

And in hair news, those interested in my journey to locs, I started yesterday:

You can follow my journey by checking out my hair blog: The Crowned Chronicles. Continue to enjoy your weekend!

This series is where we stop talking about make-up to explore other areas of beauty and beyond. That’s anything! Hair, fashion, jacked up love lives..anything! Any suggestions? Let me know at Brittany@ClumpsOfMascara.com.

Remember when I cut off alllll of my hair? Oh yes, chicas, I did. Actually I did it once back in 2004 but my crazy self went and did it again. If you are new to Clumps of Mascara I’m sure you are used to my shorter hair but the truth is, the short fro is fairly new. 3 months ago I cut it off and due to requests, I have decided to do updates. Especially for those newly natural or transitioning ladies.Here was the 1st Month Upate.

And here we are at 3 Months!

LENGTH at 2 Months

LENGTH at 3 Months

NEW PRODUCTS:-Aveda’s Dry Remedy Treatment (eh…check the video for details).-An amazing Poo Bar that Amina from Coup de Couer gave me.-Ojon’s Revitalizing Mist.

REGIME: I co-wash once/twice a week with Trader’s Joe Conditioner. For moisture, I massage my scalp with a lavender, rosemary/cedar and olive oil blend. For daily “refreshing” I use my homemade blend of water, vegetable glycerin, lavender oil and conditioner. OR I use Oyin Handmade’s Juices and Berries.

OTHER: I still don’t use any combs, brushes or any other accessories. I do wear the occasional beanie or African head wrap AND always a satin night scarf to bed. I was going to re-color my hair again but I haven’t just yet.

I like my hair at this point. I liked it more at 2 months because I really could just get up and go but now I HAVE to actually run my fingers through it so it doesn’t look too messy. I have officially decided to loc my hair and am searching for a loctian in the Orlando area. Hopefully by next month I’ll be sporting beautiful locs and before I know it I will be a beautiful brown lady with a crown on my head like….

Just gorgeous. Click the link below to see the hair update: video version.

Since we’re talking about hair…guess we might as well have a giveaway!

That’s right..it’s time to stick your hand in the Honey Pot for your chance to win a Karmin Titanium Hair iron, a value of $99.99. All you have to do is submit your NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS to this post and I will use random.org to select a winner.You have until next Tuesday, December 9, 2008. International readers are eligible too!

In addition to the giveaway, MyHairStylingTools.com is also providing coupons just for Clumps of Mascara. Use these codes at checkout to save!

MASCARA25 – Good for $25 off any Karmin Titanium Hair straightener

&

MASCARA10- Good for $10 off any item on site

Is it the season for giving or what? Tell your friends, your cousins, Mama ‘n nem….tell everyone who you think would love a new ceramic flat iron in their life.

This series is where we stop talking about make-up to explore other areas of beauty and beyond. That’s anything! Hair, fashion, jacked up love lives..anything! Any suggestions? Let me know at Brittany@ClumpsOfMascara.com.

Remember when I cut off alllll of my hair? Oh yes, chicas, I did. Actually I did it once back in 2004 but my crazy self went and did it again. If you are new to Clumps of Mascara I’m sure you are used to my shorter hair but the truth is, the short fro is fairly new. 3 months ago I cut it off and due to requests, I have decided to do updates. Especially for those newly natural or transitioning ladies.Here was the 1st Month Upate.

And here we are at 3 Months!

LENGTH at 2 Months

LENGTH at 3 Months

NEW PRODUCTS:-Aveda’s Dry Remedy Treatment (eh…check the video for details).-An amazing Poo Bar that Amina from Coup de Couer gave me.-Ojon’s Revitalizing Mist.

REGIME: I co-wash once/twice a week with Trader’s Joe Conditioner. For moisture, I massage my scalp with a lavender, rosemary/cedar and olive oil blend. For daily “refreshing” I use my homemade blend of water, vegetable glycerin, lavender oil and conditioner. OR I use Oyin Handmade’s Juices and Berries.

OTHER: I still don’t use any combs, brushes or any other accessories. I do wear the occasional beanie or African head wrap AND always a satin night scarf to bed. I was going to re-color my hair again but I haven’t just yet.

I like my hair at this point. I liked it more at 2 months because I really could just get up and go but now I HAVE to actually run my fingers through it so it doesn’t look too messy. I have officially decided to loc my hair and am searching for a loctian in the Orlando area. Hopefully by next month I’ll be sporting beautiful locs and before I know it I will be a beautiful brown lady with a crown on my head like….

Just gorgeous. Click the link below to see the hair update: video version.

Since we’re talking about hair…guess we might as well have a giveaway!

That’s right..it’s time to stick your hand in the Honey Pot for your chance to win a Karmin Titanium Hair iron, a value of $99.99. All you have to do is submit your NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS to this post and I will use random.org to select a winner.You have until next Tuesday, December 9, 2008. International readers are eligible too!

In addition to the giveaway, MyHairStylingTools.com is also providing coupons just for Clumps of Mascara. Use these codes at checkout to save!

MASCARA25 – Good for $25 off any Karmin Titanium Hair straightener

&

MASCARA10- Good for $10 off any item on site

Is it the season for giving or what? Tell your friends, your cousins, Mama ‘n nem….tell everyone who you think would love a new ceramic flat iron in their life.

-Congrats to my Total Beauty Total Cure-Breast Cancer Awareness giveaway winner: Crissi! She has won a toooon of products from N.Y.C. Cosmetics. Don’t pout. I actually have some more giveaways in store so stay tuned and you may be my next winner.

-By reader request I have created a “TAB” on the menu bar that reads Newbie News. Click this tab and you’ll get reviews, tutorials and read random ramblings specifically for make-up/beauty newbs!

Day 3 of Week ‘O Reviews! Are you enjoying it so far? I’m just going to pretend that yall are nodding your heads out there. We’ve covered a mascara and finger nail polishes. Let’s talk hair! I try to make hair a regular here at Clumps of Mascara but the truth is…I don’t spend much time on my hair. I very rarely purchase products and now that it’s shorter, I seriously just wash and go—if I even wash. LOL! My belief is that if and when you find good products, you don’t need to spend a grip (and check the stats, us women spend millions on haircare stuffs!) on products.

I recently purchased Oyin Handmade’s Honey Hemp Conditioner and Juices & Berries Nourishing Herbal Leave-in. I did a mili-second review in THIS YouTube video of mine and since then I have gotten a few requests asking for a more in-depth review. So here we go!

What Oyin Handmade sounds says about the Honey Hemp Conditioner: A creamy rinse-out conditioner has been an often-requested product at Oyin. We are very proud of the Honey-Hemp Conditioner – a light, penetrating, silky blend enriched with aloe vera gel, hemp oil, honey, and hydrolyzed silk protein, it’s got nice detangling slip and serious moisturizing power. It rinses cleanly and also makes a nice pre-shampoo deep conditioning treatment. It can even be used as a creamy, nourishing leave-in!(source)

The verdict: Ohmigoodnessthisstuffissogood! Wow! I mean….wow! First of all, the smell is intoxicating! It is simply divine. While it works as a great rinse-out conditioner, I actually prefer it as a leave-in and for several reasons. (1) That yummy honey smell lasts longer, (2) my hair is smoother, and (3) my curls POP more! I just love products that make my 4A curls pop. BTW, to get more information about “hair types”, check out this link.

Look how creamy HHC is…

Oookay, that looks strange. HA!

For $9, you will get a healthy 8 o.z. bottle which I find is a reasonable price for such a great product. I love that it doesn’t have parabens, harmful sulfates or any cones. I may not spend a ton of time on my hair but I am very picky about what I put on it and usually only deal with natural products. Honey Hemp Conditioner is ideal for short-haired naturals, loc’ers or even relaxed ladies needing extra moisture. And check this—it works as a WONDERFUL shaving cream too. Oyin Handmade’s Honey Hemp Conditioner gets an A+ from me!!

So can I be honest, kids? I initially only purchased this product so when people asked what I put in my hair I could say, “Just juices and berries, “

*crickets*

Doesn’t anyone remember Eddie Murphy in Coming to America?

What Oyin Handmade says about Juices & Berries Nourishing Herbal Leave-In:The therapeutic effects are the same as for Greg Juice – spring water, strongly infused with a variety of herbs known to help stimulate the scalp and encourage hair growth; vegetable ingredients for detangling, moisture and suppleness; vegetable glycerine for humectancy and shine; and an essential oil blend nutritious to the scalp. (source)

The Verdict: So yeah….I can dig Juices & Berries. The smell is amazing and long-lasting. What turned me on to it is the fact that it is oil free. Most of the products I put in my hair (wet or dry) have some type of oil. As long as I have some glycerin in my products, I’m great! I find that Juices & Berries works well on my dry hair as it doesn’t seem to do much for my wet hair. It is a great refresher and seems to wake my hair up when it becomes dull and I start to loose some of my curl. I don’t think it’s a NECESSARY product considering I make a glycerin/olive oil/water blend but the smell is so wonderful that I love incorporating it in my hair regime when I can. Snaps for the Juices & Berries!

Richeau on YouTube has phenomenal reviews on most of Oyin Handmade’s products.

She is a beautiful sista and gives amazing and HONEST reviews. Gotta love it! Keep in mind that if you do order from Oyin Handmade, the products will take up to 3 weeks to be delivered. The reason for this is because they are made to order. Which frustrated me at first because I’m an impatient little thing; hence why I hate ordering online in the first place. But it makes complete sense since the ingredients they use should be at their freshest!

Have any of you people tried Oyin Handmade products? Good experiences? Bad experiences? Let me know!

Stay beautiful!

Support my Total Beauty family and our Total Cure Breast Cancer Awareness Initiative! Mischo Beauty and The Beauty Alchemist are having giveaways today. Submit a Breast Cancer Awareness fact and press your luck to snag those goodies.

This series is where we stop talking about make-up to explore other areas of beauty and beyond. That’s anything! Nails, hair, fashion, jacked up love lives..anything! Any suggestions? Let me know at Brittany@ClumpsOfMascara.com.

It’s time to do a hair update! Remember in this post where I cut of alllll of my hair? I promised my YouTube fam that I would continue to update them on the products I’m using, my hair regime and my growth.

So here we are a month later!

I’m shocked at how fast my hair is growing. Granted, I don’t mind if it grows at the speed of light, but it’s great to see how much I have after only a month.

I honestly don’t do much with my hair. Partly because I’m lazy and partly because I don’t need to! The products I use are phenomenal! And I have very little desire to spend money on more products because I am extremely happy with the things I’m using now.

I wash my hair about every other day. I never use shampoo. I deep condition every 2 weeks. I don’t use any heat, combs, brushes or hair accessories. I have Dark and Lovely’s Honey Blonde permanent hair color….which I love quite a bit!

Here’s a video version of my hair update and a little extra detail about those hair products.

Fellow nappturals, BCers and transitionals, don’t hesitate to ask me any of your questions if you have any!

I’m hoping that everyone is having a wonderful Labor Day! This post isn’t on the schedule (yes, yall…I have a schedule, crazy….) but I had to share it with you. Being a Black woman with natural hair isn’t easy. What should be easy, isn’t. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world because I love my natural texture.

Buuuut—I mad a horrible horrible HORRIBLE mistake in straightening it. For a week back in May I was rockin’ this:

I mean….I was fly. Trouble with wearing this cute wrap was that my natural hair would not come back! I spent 5 months working with half straight-half nappy hair. It was so difficult to work with that I pretty much wore wraps and scarves 90% of the time. And even while hair looks pretty decent here:

…..looks can be rather deceiving. So I decided to start over. Don’t be shocked. I mean, it really is a HUGE difference. And I can’t say I am in love with it but—it had to be done.

….ummm, so yeah. Can’t quite crack a smile yet because it is still growing on me. Took me 5 hours to convince myself that I didn’t look like a Black man named Tyrone. Of course I had to do a vid. The more I watch it the better I think it looks.

So what do you folx think? Be honest! And you don’t have to be “Anonymous” to tell me your thoughts. LOL! Seriously. And I have to work with this since I don’t dig weaves or wigs so *sigh*…..I’ll make it do what it do. I am one step closer to sportin’ beauty locs!

1 week agoby clumpsofmascara"Mine mama?" Oh no, toddler. This is mine. Alllll mine! Can't wait to play around with these @paulaschoice #skincare goodies. And how gorgeous is that palette? Join me and grab a few thangs! If you use the code PRIMP20 at PaulasChoice.com, you can save 20%. Thank you @prettyinmypoc !
#PRIMPlovesPaula #powerprimpin#PaulasChoiceSkincare #powerprimper​

2 weeks agoby clumpsofmascaraLots more to go in this office makeover but so far...it's coming together!!